St Kilda Film Festival 2019

An exciting preview of the upcoming St Kilda Film Festival has been released with the announcement of highlights from the 2019 program.

Now in its 36th year, the St Kilda Film Festival, Australia's largest and longest running short film festival,provides opportunities for both emerging and established filmmakers, producers and directors to gain recognition among their industry peers and film lovers. The 2019 Festival's diverse ten-day calendar will feature a series of special events.

US-based film talent incubator Slamdance Festival will present two programs of specially curated international shorts from the festival renowned as an industry disruptor. Adele Han Li, Slamdance Festival programmer and filmmaker, will attend the 2019 St Kilda Film Festival as this year's international guest. Filmmakers will have the opportunity to meet Han Li at the Festival's free filmmaker development program, where she will offer advice on international film competitions and the future of short film.

Special event The Israel Connection will explore the short film culture of a nation alive with issues and bursting with creativity, featuring the Australian premiere of this year's OSCARS® award winning short,SKIN, by Israeli film director Guy Nattiv which stars Australian up-and-comer Danielle Macdonald (Patti Cake$, Dumplin', Bird Box). Alongside Nattiv's drama will be a collection of shorts curated by Israeli filmmaker and now Melbourne local Gal Greenspan (Menashe, Scaffolding).

Bringing it back home, St Kilda Film Festival is proud to present the world premiere of St Kilda Jazz Stories, a film homage to St Kilda's vibrant jazz scene over the past century by local director Kaye Blum. Presented in tandem with documentary short The Return of the Espy and concluding with a Q&A and live music, theafternoon will be a celebration of St Kilda's iconic music heritage.

The National Film & Sound Archive (NFSA) will be joining the festival in presenting On the Inside: 40 Years of Prisoner, a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the ground-breaking Australian drama with special guest, Prisoner star Val Lehman.

Cinephiles can also join prolific Aboriginal filmmaker, Richard J. Frankland, in conversation as the Festival presents a range of excerpts and a Q&A: In Conversation with Richard Frankland.

This is just a taste of the 2019 St Kilda Film Festival, the full program including Australia's Top Short Film competition, Under the Radar competition and free filmmaker development program, The Big Picture, will be announced Tuesday 21 May.

The St Kilda Film Festival runs from 21 to 30 June 2019 and is proudly produced and presented by the City of Port Phillip. Award-winning films from the St Kilda Film Festival will be eligible for consideration in the OSCARS® Short Film and Documentary Short Awards.

For program details and to purchase tickets, head to www.stkildafilmfestival.com.au